The Trouble with Twins
by thomashailey67
Summary: What if Severus and Lily were never friends? Six year old Severus Snape comes across four girls arguing in the park. He watches as two of the girls insult the others for being different. He watches, and when the horse faced girl and her redheaded sister leave, he introduces himself to the twins. Eventual Severus/OC. Severus and Lily hate each other.
1. Chapter 1

Severus sighs, he can't go home right now, his father is home. His mother is at the grocery store, and he's currently on his way to the park a few blocks over. When he finally arrives, he finds that there are already people there. He frowns to himself and turns to leave, but then hears what they're talking about. He hurriedly ducks behind the bushes to listen.

"You aren't wanted here! You're just a couple of freaks! Tell them Lily!" a horse faced girl orders the redheaded girl standing next to her.

She glares at the other two, who appear to be twins. "She's right, all you ever do is cause problems! Fighting and yelling and what not. Can't you just leave us alone?"

One of the twins scoffs at her, "In case you didn't notice, Lily, Opal and I were here before you. You two are the ones causing the problem."

The horse faced girl rolls her eyes, God, what kind of stupid name is _Opal_?"

The other twin smirks, "Like Petunia is any better? Your name sounds like a type of _air freshener_."

Petunia pushes the girl that had spoken, and Severus is surprised at how quickly the other girl reacts. While the redhead stares at her sister in shock, the other twin launches herself at Petunia. Before the rude girl can stop her, she lands four solid punches to her face in rapid succession. "Let me tell you something you little _bitch._ I don't give a damn who you think you are, you. Do. Not. Touch. My. Sister. Do you understand me?"

The girl sobs and holds her face. She grabs the Lily girl's hand and runs.

One of the remaining girls begins speaking, "Aspen, you shouldn't have done that! They're going to tell their parents, and their parents will tell Father, and Father will…"

He doesn't get to hear the rest because the other girl, Aspen, pulls her into a tight embrace and whispers to her. The other girl's eyes light up. "You figured it out? Let me see!"

Aspen steps back with a wide grin and picks one of the flowers off of the bush he's hiding behind. Her eyes meet his for a moment, and he's shocked to realize that she had known he was there the whole time. She stands back up, and cups the flower in her palms. She closes her eyes momentarily, and when she opens them again, she opens her hands to reveal the smallest dragon he'd ever seen. It shakes itself out and flies into the air, settling on her sister's shoulder after a moment. He can't contain his gasp. No child their age should have _that_ much control over their magic.

The other sister, Opal, stares at the bush, head cocked to the right slightly. "You can come out and talk to us, you know. I don't bite. Aspen, on the other hand…" she trails off and her sister's face contorts into a feral grin, though her eyes show amusement, "I can't make promises about her."

Slowly, he leaves his hiding place. "Hello."

"Hello, I'm Opal, and this is my twin sister Aspen. What's your name? How old are you? We're turning seven in September." the girl with the dragon on her shoulder greets cheerfully.

He stares at the dragon, and it stares back. There's intelligence in its eyes, which surprises him. "My name is Severus. Severus Snape. I'll be seven in January. How did you do that?"

Aspen smiles, "You just have to visual what you want to turn it into. The tricky part is getting it to be sentient. It's all about intent." She plucks another flower and hands it to her sister, "I have an easier time with the elements, you know? Earth, wind, fire, and air. I think plants are close enough to be considered earth that I can manipulate them pretty well."

Once she finishes speaking to him, she turns her attention to her sister, "Concentrate. Focus on what it is now, and on what you want it to be. Imagine it in your mind, fill yourself up with your intent, then let your will flow through your body and into your hands…Good…Open your eyes."

Opal obeys, and glances down at her palms. She grins happily when a small cat with a seven inch wing span meows at her happily. Severus stares in awe. "Will you teach me to do that?" The question is out of his mouth before he can stop it. Aspen smiles at him, and he's struck by how pretty she looks when her eyes light up like that. They're an icy, electric blue color, and full of life.

She glances at her sister, "What do you think, Opal?"

He blinks a bit in surprise, he had realized she was protective, but hadn't had any idea she'd refer to her sister in the matter of judgement of others. He has no doubt that is exactly what this is based on the way Opal is scrutinizing him. Finally she smiles and confirms his theory, "We can trust him."

Aspen smiles, "Follow us, we'll need a quiet, private place."

They lead him on a trail through the small forest at the edge of the park, and after a mile or so, break from the trail. He follows them for another two miles on a path only they know, and finally they reach a calm, peaceful clearing next to a river. There's a man made fire pit in the center with a few logs laid out for seating around it. He takes a seat on one of the logs, and the sisters sit opposite him.

"So, do you know any wandless magic?" Aspen asks immediately.

Severus frowns, "Only a small bit, and it's mostly things like creating a small breeze to blow some leaves, and it takes a lot of energy."

Aspen nods, "The first thing is meditation." At his look of surprise, she nods seriously, "You need to get an idea of how your magic flows through your body. Look at it this way. A wand is only useful because it helps channel magic. If you had no magic, it would be useless, since all it does is call your magic forward. That's why certain cores work better for certain witches and wizards. If you learn how your magic flows through your body, you can essentially do the job of the wand yourself, by calling the magic to your hands. Meditation is where you need to start."

Severus thinks about this for a few moments. The logic is sound, so he nods and then sheepishly admits he doesn't really know how to meditate. Opal smile and instructs him to close his eyes.

"Focus on your breathing. In…Out…In…Out…In…Out…Good. You're doing well…In…Out…In…Out…Listen to the sound of my voice…It's very soothing…In…Out…In…Out…Feel the energy in your body…In…Out…Focus on your feet, feel the thrum of power moving through your body…In…Out…Feel the way it flows upwards…Your calves…thighs…stomach…chest…shoulders…biceps…wrist…hands…In…Out…In…Out…Do you feel your magic flowing through you?"

At Opal's question he mutely nods. He feels energy thrumming all through him. He knows it has always been there, he just never actively focused on it. It feels like when you stick your tongue on the end of a 9volt battery, all throughout his body, just a bit more muted than that. It's exhilarating.

Opal continues to guide him through his meditations. They keep at it for over an hour, but when he tries it by himself, he's unsuccessful. Aspen tells him that when he's able to enter the meditative state and feel his magic at will, they will then teach him to actually use it. He can understand the logic, so he agrees. They talk and get to know each other for a few more hours before Severus tells them he needs to get home.

The twins guide him out of the forest, and he's saying good night to them over by the swings when a tall, stately looking man with black hair and green eyes stalks up behind the two girls. "Aspen. Opal."

Their eyes suddenly change. They're no longer full of life and sparkling, as they had been since they met him that morning. Opal's eyes show fear, but Aspen's show resignation. The girls turn from Severus, and Aspen steps between Opal and the man. "Father."

The man's eyes narrow at Severus, but instead of commenting on their new friend, he simply states, "I was told an interesting story from a concerned parent today."

"Oh?" was the only response he got.

Severus stares at the man's face, sure that he recognizes him from somewhere. He's pulled from scrutinizing the man by his voice, "I was told that you assaulted a little girl this morning."

"You were told wrong, Father."

He frowns, this was the first time Opal had really spoken during this confrontation, and she sounds nothing like the bubbly, self-assured girl he had been speaking with only a few moments prior. She sounds terrified.

"Explain yourselves."

"Aspen was d-defending me. The girl shoved me," Opal stutters out.

Their father's eyes are practically slits by now, "So you did assault the girl."

Aspen seems to finally snap, "If defending my sister is assault then _yes_."

"We will finish this discussion at home. Come." He glares.

" _Fine_. But Severus agreed to accompany us home and it would be rude to renege." Aspen bites out.

Severus immediately realizes that she wants him to be aware of where they live, just in case something happens. He forces a smile and ignores the older man's glare as he offers an arm to each twin. They smile happily at him, some of the life returning to their eyes, and he walks with the three of them to a manor house far from Spinner's End.

At the gate, the man speaks up, "I do believe it is time for your friend to go home. We wouldn't want his parents to worry, would we?"

Aspen smiles sweetly, "Of course not. Severus, it was wonderful meeting you. Don't forget that we're meeting at the park the day after tomorrow. Goodnight."

He smiles in response, playing his part and knowing that she's letting him know that if they haven't shown up by then, something is very wrong, seeing as they had made no such plans. "I won't forget. Hopefully I can see you there tomorrow too. Goodnight."

He watches as she takes a deep breath and turns to head up the driveway with her sister, her glaring father not far behind. He waits until the door shuts behind them to start walking home. As soon as his back is turned, the smile falls from his face. There's something fishy going on in that house, and he intends to find out what it is next time he sees the twins.


	2. Chapter 2

Severus waits for the sisters to join him at the park the next day, but they don't appear. He's concerned, but knows that since they scheduled their reappearance for the next day it was pointless waiting anyway. So, he follows the trail a mile out and climbs an old oak tree to sit in the branches, leaning against the trunk, and begins to meditate. He practices for four hours, but he's unable to truly feel his magic without the soothing voices of theirs to guide him. After he gives up, he heads home.

He reaches Spinner's End and is relieved to find that his father isn't home. He's probably at the bar. He walks into the kitchen and decides that his mother would probably know who the man from yesterday is if he's from the wizarding world. The girls are half bloods at the very least, seeing as they know about wands.

He explains all about yesterday in minute detail. His mother listens closely, knowing that whoever these children are, they will no doubt grow up to become two of the strongest witches in centuries. After he finishes speaking, she beckons for him to follow her upstairs. She arrives at a doorway at the end of the hall, and pulls down a dusty old box off the top shelf. She stares at it for a moment before she hands it to her son.

"This is for you. Hide it. Don't let Tobias find it or we will both pay dearly. Inside are many things, one of which is a book of wizarding genealogy. It depicts all of the pureblood bloodlines with images next to all current living members. If you find a picture of him, you may tell me his name when Tobias is out and I will tell you what I know of the person. Hurry now."

So Severus begins scanning pages. He finds what he's looking for quickly. Maximus Cain, with lines connecting him to two identical twins. "This is him."

His mother glances at the page and then practically does a double take. "Dear lord. They're _his_ daughters?"

She knows exactly what this means. Not only are they magically powerful (and physically to boot if rumors are to be believed), they're also from one of the wealthiest, purest families out there. Her son had made friends with two witches that will no doubt change history, one way or the other.

She quietly explains all this to Severus, who simply shrugs, "They're good friends. I don't really care about the rest."

She smiles, but doesn't tell him about their family's neutrality in the upcoming war. He has too much to deal with. With a father like Tobias, he doesn't need to worry about the wizarding world as well.

Severus is in his room, thinking of all that his mother had told him. He was worried about his friends. They had been nice to him. Everyone in the area knew him as the weird kid from Spinner's End. But they didn't care, they showed him their power anyway. He knew for a fact they're abnormally powerful. He had never heard of anyone that could control their magic like that at the age of six. And according to his mother, they were practically royalty in the wizarding world. Their blood is the purest of the pure. They intimidate others with their presence, if what he had heard the two rude girls yesterday say was true. But there is definitely something wrong in their home. Their behavior reminds him greatly of his mother's when Tobias is around.

He sighs. He wishes they had shown up at the park today. Knowing there's nothing he can do about his worry, he goes to bed. If they aren't at the park tomorrow he will go to their house and wait until one of them comes out.

The next morning, he gets up bright and early so he can meet the twins when they arrive. He waits for over an hour before he notices a shape moving in the woods. He recognizes the entrance to the trail they had led him on and heads over. Opal is waiting for him, but before he can ask questions she motions for him to be silent and follow her. They follow the main path much farther this time, and when they split off it's in the opposite direction of the clearing they were in the other day. This path is far more convoluted and he's starting to get tired of walking when they come upon a roaring river. She leads him upstream for about five minutes and they finally come upon the mouth of a cave. She leads him inside, and he's surprised to find he trusts her completely. The inside of the cave is pitch black, but Opal heads straight to a point that only she knows. He realizes that there's a tunnel there, wide and tall enough to allow an adult to walk through easily, and follows quietly.

Finally, the tunnel opens to a huge cavern. There's beams of light shining down so he can see easily. He looks around in wonder. It's utterly beautiful. Though there are no crystals or gems, the walls sparkle and glitter. There are beautiful pure white stones throughout the entire cavern, under the beams of light and up against the walls. There's a crystal clear pool of water right in the center, and every wall is covered with carvings that seem to tell the story of time itself, starting with the creation of the universe and ending with the depictions of two young girls playing with a boy that appears to be the same age.

As he turns to look again he sees a figure hunched in the corner. This is where Opal heads immediately, so Severus follows, feeling more concerned by the minute.

"Aspen?" he asks in a hushed, unsteady voice.

The figure stirs, and he's met with those beautiful ice blue eyes. Her long black hair cascades around her face, over her shoulders and down her back, and she seems very small. Her eye is black, her lip appears to have been split, and she's got fingerprints around her throat, as if someone had strangled her. Suddenly, her eyes roll back in her head and she's shivering. It only takes him a moment to recognize it as a seizure. The next thing he notices is that Opal immediately knows what to do.

As soon as Aspen begins shaking, Opal leaps into action, pushing a pillow under her head and making sure she doesn't swallow her tongue.

Once the fit passes, Aspen sits up and smiles shakily at him. "Hey, Sevie."

He blinks, no one had ever given him a nickname before. "Hey."

She frowns, "Are you ok?"

He's suddenly very angry, "Of course I'm not ok, look at you! I've read some of the books my mum sneaks to me. You're suffering from the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse! And you recover so quickly. How many times has he done this to you?"

Aspen realizes that he's not angry at her, and feels better about the situation, "I'm fine, Sevie. Really. And what do you mean, 'he'?"

"Your father, that's what I mean. I saw how terrified you two were of him! How long has he been beating and torturing you?!" Severus demands.

Aspen just blinks at him for a moment with a blank expression on her face before she slowly shakes her head, "You've got it all wrong Severus. Father didn't do this to me. He's strict, but he has a stringent moral code. He doesn't believe in corporal punishment. The one that did this…" She trails off with a sigh. "Severus, what do you know about the Black family?"

He frowns, unsure of where this is going but trusting that she has a point. "Not much, just what my mum has told me."

"Our mother was born Lina Black. We're descended from the Italian branch of the family. Our mother never wanted a husband or children, but under the threat of disinheritance she married and attempted to conceive an Heir for her husband. She got us instead. Father adores us, but can't stand Mother. Mother despises us because not only do we bring her shame for not being male, our father loves us and hates her. Father is perfectly content with daughters, and refuses to go anywhere near her to try to conceive a son. In her eyes and the eyes of her family, she is shameful for not providing an Heir. Father would never hurt us. He attempts to shield us from her, but he can only do so much. Mother is the one who hurts us."

Opal frowns, "We wouldn't tell just anyone about this. Severus, we could see it in your face. You knew exactly what was going on, which tells me you've been through this yourself, though I know it's not your mother because you said she sneaks you books and things that have to do with wizard culture. You know what it's like. We feel comfortable talking to you about this because we're in the same situation."

Severus sits next to Aspen and they all remain silent for a long while before finally he speaks up, "Thank you for trusting me." At their nods of acknowledgement, he hesitantly asks, "Can you tell me exactly what happened?"


	3. Chapter 3

Aspen hesitantly nods, knowing that they had come this far together in a short period of time, and he needs to know what happened to stop suspecting Father. She closes her eyes and remembers what happened that day before…

They start to walk up the driveway, leaving their new friend behind. "You've made a good friend. He'll be loyal to you. You should consider telling him."

Aspen didn't have to wonder about what he meant. She knew immediately. Her father's judgement is a constant in her life, and she has complete faith in it. He did teach her how to handle her mother after all. Not to mention the bit where he can read auras. That helps too.

The walk up the driveway is silent, until they're almost at the door. Opal asks if she knows already and Father's only response is an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Aspen feels relief course through her. She wouldn't be hurt tonight.

They arrive inside the foyer and out of seemingly nowhere a hand comes out of the darkness of the entryway to slap her across the face. She let's out a noise of surprise, and the hand of the woman that birthed her grabs her by the front of her shirt and drags her into the living room.

"Thought you could hide the little whelp's actions from me, eh, Maximus? Well you can't! It's all over town! Our dear, darling little daughter has beaten some muggle bloody!" she cackles. "I'm so proud!"

Aspen is confused. Proud? Had the Black family insanity finally made it over to the Italian lines as well?

"She's a muggle hater too!" the crazy bitch cackles. "The slap was meant for your father, dearest. You are most definitely not in trouble. The other one, however…is a complete and utter disappointment. She needs to be dealt with. Now, look here. This is the way you discipline properly. Crucio!"

Aspen jumps in front of her mother's wand immediately. She had to protect Opal. The pain that tears through her is indescribable. She feels as though her flesh is being stripped from her body, her nerve endings are on fire. She feels the bone in her foot shatter when her writhing slams it against the floor. Since all pain is magnified under the curse, she can't help but scream. In fact, she does so until her throat is raw and her voice is gone. Her actions angered her mother, apparently, because she did her damnedest to kill her. She applied the cruciatus for hours on end, choked her, beat her with the heavy oak wood cane great aunt Isabella used to use, and pushed her down the fourth floor staircase. Father had taken Opal to hide her, which was truly for the best. She had to protect her sister.

"…And that's pretty much what I remember. The rest is rather hazy."

Severus stares at her, probably shocked into speechlessness. Aspen can't help but smile at him, "It's ok Sevie, as long as Opal is safe, I'm ok."

Severus glances at the other twin and immediately recognizes the quiet agony on her face that he wears often when Tobias hits his mother. He has no idea what to say. He reaches out slowly and places a hand on Aspen's shoulder in quiet comfort and tries to ignore the trembling in her muscles that indicate long term damage.

The days turn to weeks, and the weeks turn into quickly passing months. Severus has never been happier. He's progressed a great deal in his meditations, and his friendship with the twins has developed to a point they're nearly inseparable.

He can't help but be glad he met them that fateful day, and he occasionally wonders what life would be like had he not met them. They're his best - and only - friends. He quickly decides he would have been miserable without them.

Life goes on, and years pass. Aspen, Opal, and Severus only grow closer with the passing time. The Evans sisters only grow to hate them more and more. Soon enough, Aspen and Opal receive their Hogwarts letters, and Severus receives his the following January. The three of them go together to get their school supplies and wands, led by Maximus Cain. He had grown quite fond of Severus Snape, though his wife hated the boy. Not that he cared. Their shopping trip is uneventful, and by the time they arrive at Ollivanders, the children are practically vibrating with excitement. They simply can't help it. Sure they can do wandless magic, but everyone knows your magic is stronger with a wand.

Mr. Ollivander smiles happily at the three children and their escort, and asks who wants to go first. The twin girls nudge their friend forward with encouraging smiles, Which he returns tentatively. They watch in amusement as the charmed measuring tape begins to measure every part of Severus Snape. He finds his wand on the sixth try. The twins take a good while longer. Aspen tries over thirty different wands before she finds the one suited just for her. Garrick Ollivander, on a hunch, hands Opal the sister wand to Aspen's own, and the match is immediate. He smiles brightly at her, "Willow wood with a thunderbird tailfeather core, 12.5 inches, springy, good for a versatile range of magic, and an identical match to your sister's, down to the same thunderbird that donated the feathers. And you, my boy, have an oak wood wand with a dragon heartstring core, 14 inches, sturdy, excellent for battle magics. These wands will serve you well."

The children grin from ear to ear, and Lord Cain cocks his head to the side momentarily before asking, "Is the trace already on the wands?"

Mr. Ollivander shakes his head, "No, no, I sell to too many grown witches and wizards for all that. It won't activate until the children pass through the Hogwarts wards for the first time."

Aspen grins at her sister and her best friend, and the look in her eyes tells them they'll be practicing as soon as they get home.

-AN-

So, here it is, edited and the best this one is going to get. Working on next chapter now. I've got a bunch of ideas for later scenes making it hard to write current ones.


	4. Chapter 4

They spend the rest of the summer before their first year at Hogwarts in the cavern the twins had shown Severus so many years before.

Even all these years later, Severus still takes a moment each visit to marvel at the beauty of the cavern in all its glittering splendor. This place has been his sanctuary over the years and he knows the girls feel the same way.

The rest of the summer is enjoyable, of course. They practice with their wands, and all around just appreciate the last beautiful rays of summer sun, as fall approaches quickly. It isn't until the afternoon before the three are to board the Hogwarts Express for the first time that Opal voices the biggest concern all of them had, but until then hadn't been willing to speak of it out loud.

"Aspen…Sevie…What if the hat separates the three of us?"

In response, Aspen smiles and simply says, "Don't worry Opal, if that happens I'll just make the hat change its mind."

"Really?" she questions.

"You know it," Aspen responds, smiling at her sister and their best friend.

The train ride to Hogwarts turns out to be fairly eventful. They meet two boys their age and the group immediately clicks. They've just finished introducing themselves when the door to the compartment opens. Standing inside is a boy in unmarked robes that look as if they've seen better days.

"Er, hello…I was just looking for a place to sit. Would it be alright if I join you?" the boy asks.

Seeing nobody else was going to speak up, Aspen jumped right in. "Come on in! I'm Aspen Cain, this is my twin sister Opal, and our best friend Severus Snape. The others were just about to introduce themselves."

"Right you are!" one of the boys smiles, "I'm James Potter."

"I'm Sirius Black, and it's seriously nice to meet you!" the boy grins widely. Aspen snorts at the terrible pun.

"I'm Remus Lupin," the boy smiles a bit nervously, "it's nice to meet you all."

It's a few hours into the train ride, spent amicably chatting, when Lily Evans shows up in the doorway to their compartment.

The girl immediately starts in on the trio. The three mostly tune her out, they've had quite a bit of practice doing so over the years, but then she says something that has Aspen's head snapping toward her.

"-don't understand how any of you can stand the stench of the two little hussies and their sidekick! After all, they probably won't wait a week before they're offering favors to the professors to get better grades!"

Her tirade is cut off when Aspen stands up and turns to face her. "I don't think I heard you right. Do you want to repeat what you just said about my sister?"

Lily hesitates, remembering that Aspen tends to get physical in retaliation for any slight to Opal. 'Then,' she decides, 'I'll just get a prefect!'

"You heard me Cain. You and your sister are destined to become evil little Slytherin whores!" Lily is feeling rather self-satisfied, knowing that she has to have provoked her. 'Now she'll attack me and get in heaps of trouble!'

For once, however, Aspen decides to retaliate with words. "And _you_ , Ms. Evans, will become less than nothing. Especially with the attitude you have regarding those seen as less than you. You're a know-it-all that doesn't actually know anything. Do you honestly think that just because you read a book or two of Ministry approved drivel that you know anything at all about the magical world? Of course you do. You can't fathom the idea you could be wrong.

"Well guess what? You're not as great as you think you are. You're coming into the magical world like you own the damn place and you don't. You have no sense of common decency at all. I mean, you just called two eleven year olds evil whores. Who does that!? You've hated us for years for nothing more than our existence and because your sister said so.

"I've said my piece now kindly get OUT and don't come back. Next time I'll let my fists do the talking for me. Got it!?" she finishes sharply.

Lily Evans gapes at the other girl before turning around and fleeing. Aspen huffs and sits down. When she turns around it's to see her new friends gaping at her in shock.

Finally, it's Sirius that speaks up, "Er…she had a point about how evil Slytherins are, y'know."

Opal rolls her eyes, "You can't honestly believe there's an entire Hogwarts house solely for evil people can you? I mean, that's ridiculous. First of all, we're eleven. I'm pretty sure the most evil thing Aspen or I have done is the regular beatings Lily and her sister get for attacking me." At that the other three snicker. "Anyway, my point is, just because Slytherin shines like a beacon to assholes that want power, doesn't mean that you're automatically evil just for being sorted there."

Sirius frowns, "that's all well and good, but the ones that are bad just grow up to be even worse. And the worst of them usually have the most power and gold to throw around. My family is the perfect example."

Aspen laughs, "We know all about the Black family and their methods. After all, our mother was born a Black."

Severus picks up the train of thought, "And we're not saying you're wrong. Just that you shouldn't judge all Slytherins based on the worst of the lot. It's all well and good to dislike the people in Slytherin that act like prats, but dislike them because they're prats, not because they're Slytherins."

James looks thoughtful, and Sirius is frowning. He then blinks, "How come I haven't met you two before if you're part of the Black family?"

Aspen grins, "We're not from the main branch, our mother was Italian. And it's due, in no small part, to the fact that Father hates Mother and wants nothing to do with her. She didn't provide him with an heir, she had us. And now he won't touch her again. She's a disgrace in the eyes of the Black family. It brings us no end of amusement."

Sirius can't help but laugh at that. The conversation continues from there but drifts to other topics. It's agreed, however, that they will remain friends even if they're sorted into different houses.

Remus is content to simply sit and bask in the feeling of having friends.


	5. Chapter 5

The train pulls into the station and students pour out. It's pandemonium and Opal is desperately holding onto Aspen and Severus, not wanting to get separated. The follow the voice shouting for first years with the other boys they'd befriended not far behind.

"No more'n four to a boat!" the booming voice calls out after they've traveled to the lake. As such, Aspen, Opal, and Severus group up in one boat, with James, Sirius, and Remus in the one beside them. The boys are joined by a timid looking boy with dirty blonde hair and a nervous air about him. Aspen is forced to shift her attention when someone else approaches their own boat.

The girl climbs in after Opal smiles and Pat's the seat next to them, nodding gratefully in reply.

The boats have started moving before the girl decides to speak. "Hello, I'm Artemis Lestrange. It's nice to meet you."

Sev, Aspen and Opal introduce themselves and the four first years chat quietly until they catch their first sight of Hogwarts. At that point they're too busy staring at the beautiful castle to talk.

They exit the boats at the docks and James, Sirius, and Remus introduce Peter, the boy that they had shared their boat with.

They make small talk until the door opens and they're retrieved by a very stern looking woman that they learn is Professor Mcgonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Gryffindor Head of House (HoH), and Transfiguration Professor. She leads them into an antechamber and gives them a speech about houses, family, and good behavior, before she leaves them to their own devices.

As they're waiting a group of ghosts float through, chattering to each other about "Peeves" and how annoying he is. They pause and chat with the students until the Professor comes back and shoo's them into the hall.

The students are all quite excited, though some hide it better than others. Bones, Amelia is the first name called, and she gets sent to Hufflepuff. The table cheers and greet her warmly, and then it's Sirius' turn. The hat deliberated on his head for a minute or two before it's shouting out GRYFFINDOR.

And then it's Aspen's turn.

When the hat is placed upon her head, she takes a moment to…imply…how very displeased she will be if her sister and best friend are not sorted into the same house as she is. All she has to do is imagine burning fabric and the hat is hastily agreeing. Satisfied that that is settled, she allows the hat to sort her into SLYTHERIN.

Apparently the hat thinks her ambition and cunning outweighs the bravery needed to threaten an ancient magical artifact.

She gets off the stool, but only moves to the side. McGonagall tries to shoo her off, but Aspen's only response is "I'm going to walk with my sister."

Not feeling like arguing with the girl, the name of her sister is called. The hat is on Opal's head for all of 19 seconds before the hat is shouting SLYTHERIN.

The girls link arms and move to sit down at the table. They make room for Sevie and keep an ear out for the rest of their friends. Remus, Peter, and James are sorted into Gryffindor with Sirius. Aspen and Opal cheer and applaud for them, inviting strange looks from all over, though neither cares. Artemis is sorted into Slytherin and the girls make room for her too.

After what seems like forever, Severus is called up. He is determined to be sorted into Slytherin. He had a plan for that, but now he can't help but just imagine being placed somewhere else, where Aspen would storm up and put the hat in its place. The hat quickly decided to avoid this by sorting the boy into Slytherin. He fit well enough anyway.

The trio is overjoyed. They tune out the rest of the sorting and wind up just talking quietly together instead. Soon enough, dinner is over and they're all being led off to bed.

-A/N-

I'm quite tired right now so I'll keep it short. Basically, sorry I was gone for so long, I got distracted. I've had a lot going on. If you see mistakes feel free to point them out. I'll talk more next time, I'm gonna go to sleep. Night all.


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